


An Ode to Regret

by Ryuuto



Series: You're My Head, You're My Heart [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, More like Unresolved Romantic Tension, Well sort of one-sided
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-22
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-20 10:42:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1507574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryuuto/pseuds/Ryuuto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Piper never asked to be a daughter of Aphrodite.  Now, not only is she supposed to go betray everyone at Camp Half-Blood on the quest to free Hera in order to save her father, but the people she has to betray are the ones she's friends with.  Even if one of them is just based on an illusion created by the Mist, her feelings about him don't change.  Why can't she just have normal teenager problems?</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Ode to Regret

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to a series that crosses over Percy Jackson and His Dark Materials! Before I forget, [have a primer](http://restcalm.dreamwidth.org/1416.html) if you don't know what daemons are or would like to know how this world works. This is subject to change as I think of more to add, modify, or take out altogether.
> 
> Now, please enjoy this latest installment taking place during The Lost Hero!

Piper was not totally sold on being claimed by Aphrodite. Even Zenobiar wasn’t thrilled, and he tried pretty hard to find the best in everything. It was like she’d gotten confirmation that she was going to be completely useless on their quest to find and rescue Hera. Juno. Whatever. Plus, they’d gotten a makeover. Piper got Beauty Queen treatment that made her more uncomfortable than she cared to admit, and Zenobiar hadn’t escaped it, either. No matter what form he took, he looked sleek and glossy with rich coloring, no matter how drab the color should’ve been. Well, unless he shifted to an insect or arachnid that wasn’t a butterfly or moth. Not even Aphrodite could make those things look fashionable. It was almost a shame that Zenobiar hated those forms with a passion.

Yet another thing that made her different from even her demigod peers. Everyone else in the camp had settled daemons, except for the really young ones. Piper’s had not. At age sixteen, her daemon should’ve settled into his final shape at least a year ago. Yet, Zenobiar hadn’t settled into any form. He kept shifting, almost as if he was indecisive. Piper didn’t mind it personally, but it gave other people cause to pick on her even further. As if being Cherokee wasn’t “insulting” enough for them.

She sighed and shivered. Piper wished her mom had given her clothes more appropriate for the winter weather. It was _freezing_. Zenobiar shifted to polar bear, looking vibrant and spotless, and gave her a bear hug. He wouldn’t be able to keep it up for very long, but Piper could feel his determination to try.

That was when Jason approached her with a warm-looking blanket. His daemon, a beautiful American kestrel named Kaiya, swooped down to land on a bench next to Piper. Zenobiar rumbled his greeting to her, and she bobbed her head in response. Poor Jason stood there somewhat awkwardly as he offered the blanket. As if to accentuate that, Kaiya shifted on her feet as if she was standing on hot coals.

“You look cold,” he said, and his cheeks turned a light pink, “Sorry. That was...kind of dumb to say.”

“I’ve heard dumber,” Piper replied as casually as she could, and she took the blanket with clear gratitude. Zenobiar chuckled as he released her and shifted into a snow leopard. She put the blanket across her shoulders and attempted a smile at Jason. It was hard reconciling with the fact that none of what they had was real. Not even friendship.

_We can still be friends with Jason,_ Zenobiar told her silently, _After all, we’re friends with Leo. Nothing can be as hard as that._

Piper fought hard to keep a straight face and not bust into somewhat hysterical giggles. Leo and Valonia, a coyote daemon, liked to think they were funny. Well, they sometimes were, but that wasn’t the point.

_It’s better that we’re not. I still have to betray them, and you know that,_ she shot back. He didn’t have an answer. How could he? Piper’s dad had been taken hostage by a murderous Giant. Either she sabotaged the quest or her father was going to die. Why did life have to be so complicated? Wasn’t it enough that she was a teenager with a superstar dad? Did the Fates seriously _have_ to make her a demigod whose mother was Aphrodite?

“If it means anything, I’m glad you’re going with us on the quest, Piper,” Jason said, bringing her attention right back on to him. It made her feel warm inside, which annoyed her. She wasn’t supposed to be thinking about Jason like that at a time like this. Still…she couldn’t help smiling a little.

“Somebody’s got to keep Leo in line. It’s a full-time job, even for you,” Piper teased, “I just wish I kept my jacket.”

“We’ll get you a new one while we’re out,” he promised, looking a little more relaxed. Kaiya took off from the bench and flew over to Zenobiar to nibble affectionately on his ear. He purred in response. That said, Jason bade the pair goodnight and left with Kaiya to Cabin One. They had a long day tomorrow, and he was probably right to try get as much sleep as possible. Piper sighed after he left, ignoring her heartache, and turned to face the Aphrodite Cabin. She dreaded going into Barbie’s Dreamhouse and spending the night in there. She might come out looking like plastic.

“We’ll get through this. The two of us will be strong together,” Zenobiar told her with confidence in his voice. She knew perfectly well that he wasn’t talking about Cabin Ten, though anyone else happening to pass them by would think he was.

“I just hope we’re strong enough, Zeno,” Piper replied morosely. All they had left was hope at that point, and at least one of them was confident that things would turn out alright.


End file.
